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Fangraphs and minor league prospects.

A writer from Fangraphs is rating the top prospects that he has seen in person. As they come out I will post any Reds' prospects that he has seen and his review of them. He is listing 12 at each position.

Catchers - None

First Basemen -

5. Neftali Soto, Cincinnati Reds
At 23, Neftali Soto has accomplished enough to suggest he’ll be a big leaguer in some capacity. And while it will never be starting first baseman of the Cincinnati Reds for as long as Joey Votto is healthy, the near guarantee of major league service time holds a significant amount of weight considering the remainder of this list includes only two players with time above Single-A baseball (Poythress, Terdoslavich). In 2012, his .245/.313/.400 triple slash line was underwhelming, but his walk and strikeout rates were actually better than his breakout 2011. A bounceback 2013 may be in order.

Second Basemen -

4. Henry Rodriguez, Cincinnati Reds
Color me enamored with Rodriguez’ hit tool — the best on this list. He’s undersized and may not provide much in terms of power production, but I saw few better pure hitters in 2012. My only real concern about his offensive game is a walk rate which may leave the 22-year old too batting average dependent. If I were an opposing general manager, I’d be inquiring with Brandon Phillips entrenched in Cincinnati.

Re: Fangraphs and minor league prospects.

Shortstops -

7. Didi Gregorius, Cincinnati Reds

A premium athlete who receives bonus points for being close to MLB ready, Didi Gregorius is a flashy defensive shortstop with a questionable offensive ceiling. At the plate, I like the way Gregorius’ hands work, but his grip-and-rip approach may need to be tempered some. Regardless, defense is Gregorius’ calling card and makes him a valuable commodity on the trade market should the Reds look to upgrade this off-season. Taking it one step further, would Cincinnati look to deal the steady Zack Cozart (2.7 WAR) to free up the shortstop position for Gregorius who’s four years his junior?

Re: Fangraphs and minor league prospects.

Center Fielders:

3. Billy Hamilton, Cincinnati Reds (SS)

The most exciting player in minor league baseball, Hamilton ranks third due to the floor his speed and defensive potential allow for. I’m not sure how much Hamilton will hit at the Major League level, but if he can post an OBP of .330 with scratch defense, he’s a 2-3 win player with the potential for additional value. Never have I seen a player literally steal runs on a baseball field like Hamilton. Add to this his high OBP at the upper levels and I’m left no choice but to rank him higher than both Williams and Kepler — Players who I believe to have higher offensive ceilings.

I’ll be the first to say, “I just don’t see it” when discussing Lamarre’s potential to become a viable starter at the big league level. But for me to completely ignore the fact he was better than a league average hitter with some secondary skills to boot would be unfair of me. To be clear, he’s not a player I’d be looking to acquire, but he’s yet another guy with fourth outfielder possibilities. When that can be had on the cheap, it does have value.

Re: Fangraphs and minor league prospects.

And Relief Pitchers:

10. Kyle Lotzkar, Cincinnati Reds

Lotzkar’s 2012 season can be described as “effectively wild – sort of”. Yes, 10 K/9 in the Southern League is impressive, but some of that is due to his 5+ BB/9 and batters being unable to dig in against the 22-year old right-hander. In person, he was essentially the same pitcher in April as he was in July. With a 91-93 MPH fastball and low-80′s slider, he presents with the classic two-pitch reliever mix. Plus, there’s definitely some effort in his delivery. With Lotzkar’s checkered injury history, a bullpen roles strikes me as the path of least resistance to his becoming a contributing Major League pitcher.

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